


You're More Important

by ReindeerGamesofMischief



Category: The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Disappearance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Mpreg, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26457196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReindeerGamesofMischief/pseuds/ReindeerGamesofMischief
Summary: “Horus, your disappearance hurt me. I don’t know what happened and frankly, I don’t really care. That day...did you know that day was not only the worst day of my life but also the best? You don’t. You don’t know and that’s not what I thought our life was going to be.”
Relationships: Horus/Carter Kane
Kudos: 27





	You're More Important

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, not sorry for the angst.

Sleepovers were nightmares. Carter didn’t care what his children claimed. Their sleepovers were exhausting. 

Though, it may be partly his fault in agreeing to their slumber party birthday idea. When they first proposed the idea he had easily told them ‘no’. But seven months later, after constant negotiating and using their secret weapon that really wasn’t so secret now that he thought back on it. 

He knew that they knew their puppy dog eyes and little pouts were his weakness. He’s built a pretty good tolerance against them for most things now. Cookies for dinner and a later bedtime have been swiftly shot down the second he saw the innocent twinkles in their eyes. But, he wasn’t so good when it came to his twins growing up.

It’s been hard being a single parent, but he’s proud of the life the three of them have made. The twins were turning six, which happens only once in a little boy’s life. That had been their starting point and built their negotiations off of it. 

If they didn’t end up as lawyers after all of this, Carter has decided that either the world will miss out or should be thankful. For two five year olds, they were resourceful and brilliant.

But Carter couldn’t take all the credit for it. They took more after their father than him. 

Smiling gently at the little faces dreaming of wonderful adventures in his living room, Carter turned off the main lights, leaving the few nightlights he’d set up strategically around the room on. “Sleep tight you little demons,” he spoke softly and left the room.

He’d gotten to the end of the hallway when he felt a small shift in air.

Turning around, Carter’s eyes widened.

“Horus?” he whispered in disbelief, seeing the one man he used to call love. Their relationship had started off so passionate and thriving. Carter truly thought that Horus would be his one and only.

And when he’s not lying to himself and hiding from the pain in his chest, he still thinks about it. There would never be anyone like Horus. And it’s not because of how compatible their magic was, or that even a look from Horus still made him feel alive. But those two little boys in the middle of their friends who held the last pieces of his heart in their little hands.

“Hey,” greeted Horus with a grin that made Carter chuckle at how boyish it was. The twins would smile like that every time when he picked them up from school. It was the grin that told him how genuinely happy they were to see him.

Another habit they picked up from their father.

Their father they never met.

“W-What are you doing here?” asked Carter confused. He was more confused than hurt at Horus' sudden appearance. Almost seven years ago, the love of his life disappeared. Horus was there one day and then gone the next. There hadn’t even been a note. 

Carter never even had the chance to tell that Horus he was pregnant.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to show up so abruptly,” he said softly, shifting his weight to the side. Horus dropped his gaze for a moment, but then Carter saw him tilt his head like a bird. It was what he did when he was listening to the magic in the air.

Carter was gifted with magic as well, but his practicing focused on potions. Years ago, he had been just as talented as the next sorcerer, but since Horus left and he had the twins, Carter put that life behind him. 

However, he hadn’t realized he’d gotten so out of tune that he couldn’t hear what Horus was hearing. He used to…

“There are children here,” Horus commented, not asked.

“Yes,” agreed Carter. He couldn’t help smiling gently in the direction he knew the twins were. No matter how much his heart hurt, thinking of them always put a smile back on his lips. “The twins wanted a sleepover.”

“Twins? You have children?” Horus asked this time, eyes widening slightly. Carter saw his eyes dip. Carter followed his gaze and saw what Horus was noticing.

“No wedding ring,” confirmed Carter, holding up his hand. There wasn’t even a tan line. No one could ever take Horus’ place in his heart. 

Horus mumbled something under his breath before he nodded. “Congratulations, on the twin's. It’s late but…”

Carter nodded his thanks. He paused, unsure if he wanted to say it but, a part of him would hate himself forever if he didn’t. Taking a deep breath, he just blurted it out before the pain in his heart started choking him. “Look. Um, it’s late. If you want, you can stay in the guest room. And... we can, catch up? Tomorrow morning! That is…?”

Horus chuckled warmly, nodding. “I’d like that.”

“Great. Awesome. Um, guest room is-

“I remember.”

“Okay.” Carter hesitated, but turned around and began walking again. Before he could open his bedroom door, hand on the doorknob, he called out. “Horus?”

“Hm?”

Carter bit his lip, not daring to turn back around. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold back his tears. He shouldn’t have called out. He should’ve just closed his bedroom door behind him so he could cry.

“G-Good night,” he stuttered out before slipping behind his door and closing it with a soft snap. He threw up a silence ward a second later as a sob ripped out of his throat and he gripped his chest where the never ending ache lived.

His body began shaking as he fell to his knees. After all these years, he  _ thought _ he would be okay if he ever saw Horus again. Not that he actually thought he would. But he thought he’d be  _ okay _ . 

Clearly, he wasn’t.

So much for thinking he was done crying because of Horus.

“Shit.”

Carter looked up, seeing a blurry version of Horus crouching before him. He wanted to stop, but he was finding that he couldn’t.

“I’m so  _ sorry _ ,” hushed Horus, cupping his face and resting their foreheads together. “If I could go back and change what happened, I would. I never meant to hurt you, my lo-

“No!” rejected Carter, shoving at Horus’ chest. His anger was here and Carter didn’t want to stop it. Yes, he was upset, but he was also  _ pissed _ . 

Horus had  _ left _ . 

At first Carter had been a little irritated, but sometimes Horus’ job for the Magic Council took him away abruptly. And then Carter kind of forgot about his irritation when he got the new he was pregnant that same evening. He figured he would just tell Horus when he’d get back.

But then a couple days turned into weeks and then months. The joy of becoming parents turned to fear. Did Horus get hurt? Why wasn’t he back home? And why wouldn’t the council tell him anything?

Carter had to learn to be a parent of two alone. He had to do it all alone while never knowing what happened to Horus.

And now Horus just shows up, perfectly alright? Calling him  _ that _ ?

He shoved Horus again, this time using his magic and forcing the man to fall backwards to the floor.

“You don’t get to call me that,” he hissed through his tears. “You lost that right.”

“Car-

“No. You don’t get to talk right now. You had six years and eight months to talk, now? Now it’s my turn.” Carter didn’t bother wiping away his tears or stand up. He stayed on his knees as he glared at Horus. “Horus, your disappearance hurt me. I don’t know what happened and frankly, I don’t really care. That day...did you know that day was not only the worst day of my life but also the best? You don’t. You don’t know and that’s not what I thought our life was going to be.”

Carter panted, catching his breath. “You were gone,” he whispered, angrily wiping away his tears as he stood up. “You were gone and I...I was pregnant.”

“Twins,” whispered Horus in amazement.

“I was going to do one of those dumb pregnancy reveal things like on YouTube, but you weren’t back at the end of the week or the following week.” Carter climbed to his feet, looking away. “I hoped you’d be back before the first appointment, but you weren’t. Then I thought maybe you’d be there for the birth even though everyone else was saying you were probably dead. The council wouldn’t say anything and I couldn’t even  _ sense _ you. But, I still believed you’d make it for the birth.”

When two large calloused hands cupped his cheeks again, Carter squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t look at Horus, not right now. His body craved for the touch, for the way their magic was singing again. 

“It’s kind of ironic that you come back on this day.”

“Why’s that?” mumbled Horus, his voice barely above a whisper.

Carter opened his eyes and met Horus’ bi-colored ones. “It’s their birthday.”

Horus snorted, humming at the irony.

Covering the warm hands that were still wiping away his tears, Carter held onto them. “I’m so,  _ so _ angry at you. You broke my heart, Horus. And what little bit remained is dedicated to those two little boys out there. But you know what’s the worst part of it all? I  _ still _ love you.”

Chapped lips covered his own. 

Maybe later he’ll hate himself for how he responded, but he couldn’t help it. Melting into the kiss felt like coming home or getting that first inhale of air after being submerged. He surrendered into the kiss, those lips and warm hands the only thing anchoring him in reality.

Swaying forward, Horus easily held his weight and gladly shifted their stances so they were closer together. Carter moved his arms around Horus’ neck as the taller man’s hands slid down to Carter’s waist so they could be chest to chest. 

When they pulled apart, barely a few centimetres as they caught their breath.

“Don’t hurt me, Horus. I...I won’t be able to handle it a second time.”

“I won’t,” promised Horus. “I will make it up to you. And the twins. I swear it on my magic.”

The air around them thrummed. Carter closed his eyes, listening to it. A small smile tugged at his lips. “You sure you want to do that? You break your oath, your magic will be gone.”

Horus shook his head, resting their foreheads against each other again.

“You’re more important.”

**Author's Note:**

> Been listening to a song on repeat for the last two hours and this little fic came tumbling out of my fingers. Sorry for any mistakes, but I had to get this down. 
> 
> Inspired by the song 'Unsaid Emily' from Julie and the Phantoms.
> 
> Not sure if there's going to be any follow up on this one, but...sometimes the unknown is just as good, if not better.
> 
> -Mischief


End file.
